Thursday, April 2, 1998 | 3:23 a.m.
"More than 11,000 construction jobs and 15,000 full- and part-time permanent jobs will be generated as a result of casino development in Detroit," Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO President Ed Scribner said at a joint news conference with Archer at the 57-acre site.
Leaders of the Building Trades Council, and the Carpenters and Hotel and Restaurant Employees unions also endorsed the project.
Archer has drawn criticism from some over his decision to relocate the casinos from the downtown business district to a warehouse district just east of downtown. He said it was too hard to find adequate sites in the original area.
The mayor also continues to face criticism from backers of black businessman Don Barden, who are angered by Archer's rejection of Barden's group's application for one of three Detroit casino franchises.
Barden, who has become the rallying point for people demanding at least one black-owned casino, attended a City Council meeting Wednesday as MGM Grand officials spoke about their plans, The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News reported.
Afterward, he called the council hearing "April Fool's Day."
"There was nothing really answered of any substance with respect to the ownership issue, which is a major issue in the city of Detroit," Barden said.
MGM Grand Chairman J. Terrence Lanni promised that blacks would hold at least five of the nine seats on a board that would run the Detroit casino.
"We don't consider ourselves out-of-town speculators; we intend to be good corporate neighbors," said Alex Yemenidjian, chief executive officer of MGM Grand.
The two other casino developers, Atwater/Circus Circus and Greektown/Chippewa Indians, have 10 percent and 14.6 percent black ownership, respectively.
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